Wheelbarrow



March 4, 1941. G, OSTERKAMP 2,233,710

WHEELBARROW Filed June l2, 1939 Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNrrse stares erreur OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a wheeled vehicle and particularly pertains to a wheelbarrow.

In transporting materials from place to place, such for example as concrete, cement and grout 5 ing, it is desirable to utilize a wheelbarrcw within which the material may be carried and from which the material may be poured in a manner to insure accurate placement of the material with a minimum loss by spilling. Wheelbarrows of this particular type are used to transport niaterials from a cement mixer or the like to a point where they are poured out and placed. It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a Wheelbarrow which will carry a maximum 15 load and which is 'formed with a body having a particular pouring spout at its forward end so that material may be directly placed when the wheelbarrow is dumped.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a Wheelbarrow having the conventional running gear and a body portion of scoop shape formed with a pouring spout at its forward end and overhanging the wheel and from which spout the material may be accurately poured. 25 The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a wheelbarrow showing the details of the body structure.

Fig. 2 is a View in plan showing the wheel- 30 barrow and the spout formation.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation showing the form of the pouring spout.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I indicates a wheel carried upon an axle Il 35 and mounted in bearings I 2 of a wheelbarrow frame I3. This frame is formed with a pair of shares or handles Ill by which the load may be lifted and by which the wheelbarrow may be moved from place to place. Suitable legs I5 are 40 provided to support the frame. Mounted upon the frame structure I3 is a wheelbarrow body It. This structure is characterized by having a pouring spout Il at its forward end. The body structure is formed with a floor I8 bounded on its 45 three sides by side walls I9, 20 and 2l. The body portion I8 is formed with a forwardly and upwardly extending floor 22 along opposite sides of which side Wall sections 23 and 2i occur. These sections are continuations of the side 50 walls of I9 and 2l, respectively. At the forward end of the floor continuation 22 a throat 25 is formed. This throat is defined by a transverse edge 2B of the floor 22 and the side members 23 and 24, as particularly shown in Fig. 3 of the 55 drawing. It is to be understood that the exact design of the body structure I6 may be changed to accommodate-the requirements as to the material to be hauled and the manner in which it is to be placed, and that the invention is particularly concerned with the provision of the pouring spout Il which extends forwardly and above the wheel I0 and is formed with a throat 26 having side walls 23 and 24 to direct the material from the Wheelbarrow through the throat to a desired point of placement. 10

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing it will be seen that the portion I8 of the floor stands substantially horizontal and that the floor extension 22 extends upwardly and forwardly therefrom while the back wall extends up- 15 wardly and rearwardly, and the side walls lil and 2| iiare upwardly and outwardly. This provides a pan-like structure of considerable capacity in which material may be placed. It will also be noted that the upper edges of the side walls 20 I9 and 2| extend upwardly and forwardly, as indicated at 2 in the drawing, and lie in a plane which is indicated by the dotted line 28, and which plane extends forwardly to the edge 26 of the floor portion 22. The continuing portions 23 and 24 of the side wall converge toward the throat 25 and project upwardly above the plane occupied by the edges 21 of the side walls and the edge 26 of the pouring spout. This provides guide walls which confine the material and per- 30 mit it to be poured out of the spout.

In operation of the wheelbarrow as here described the device is constructed as shown and described, after which the material to be hauled is placed within the body portion I6. When it is desired to discharge the material therefrom the wheelbarrow may be lifted to swing the pouring spout I'I forwardly and over the wheel I Il and to allow the material to pour outwardly as guided through the throat 25. 40

It will thus be seen that the wheelbarrow here described while simple in construction, provides a desirable feature not present in wheelbarrows as now made, in that the body of the wheelbarrow will accommodate a large volume of material which may be transferred from place to place without spilling, and for the further reason that when it is desired to pour material from the wheelbarrow'this may be accomplished easily while directingthe material accurately to a point of placement.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes may be made in combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those Skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: A wheelbarrow having a frame, a running gear wheel at the forward end thereof, a pair of shares extending from the rear thereof, a body member mounted upon said frame and extending forwardly and upwardly over the running gear wheel, the body member having a relatively narrow floor of substantially uniform width comprising a horizontal portion and an upwardly and forwardly extending continuation thereof to a point above the running gear wheel, a back wall extending upwardly and rearwardly from said floor, outwardly and upwardly flaring side walls at opposite sides of the horizontal portion of said floor and outwardly and upwardly tapering side walls forming continuations of the rst named side walls with their upper marginal edges converging toward the forward edge of the upwardly inclined floor portion and terminating above the side edges of the upwardly and forwardlyk eX- tending floor section whereby a pouring throat will be formed by said floor and side walls.

GEORGE O. OSTERKAMP. 

